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LIVESTRONG at School

Print This LessonHigh School Lesson 1: The Practical Side of Cancer

Summary

In this lesson, students in their small groups respond to different situations that can impact a person diagnosed with cancer.

National Academic Standards (DEVELOPED BY THE MID-CONTINENT REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY-MCREL)

Health

  • knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information
  • knows how to maintain mental and emotional health

Language Arts

  • demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process
  • demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning

Student Learning Objectives

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

  • identify some of the practical issues related to having cancer
  • present ways to surmount those issues while still living life on your own terms - LIVESTRONG

Resources

On the Site:

On Your Own:

  • video player

Preparation

  1. Read the teacher sheet, "Questions and Answers about Cancer".Use the content as background for the lessons and for answering questions from students.
  2. Download the "Introduction Video with Lance Armstrong" and set up on a computer or TV for viewing by the students.  (If you have trouble downloading the video, make sure you have the latest version of QuickTime.)
  3. Read the teacher sheet, "Rubric for 'With Cancer' Presentation." Adapt it so that you have a way of checking that students understood the assignment.
  4. Make a copy of the worksheets, "Changes" and "With Cancer," for each student and one for yourself.
  5. Be prepared to arrange students into eight groups.
  6. Determine what kind of report you'd like each group to make-a written one, an oral one or both.
  7. Download the video "Practical Considerations" and set up on a computer or TV for viewing by the students.

The Lesson

  1. Show students the "Introduction Video with Lance Armstrong"
  2. Ask students what they know about cancer.  Dependening on their responses, ensure that students have a basic understanding of the following points:
    • Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States.
    • Cancer occurs when cells grow and divide and don't die as they should. It can spread to different parts of the body.
    • Some cancers are inherited; other cancers may be caused by factors in the environment such as overexposure to sunlight or any exposure to tobacco smoke. We don't know what causes all cancers.
    • Many cancers can be detected by medical exams.
    • Many cancers can be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormones, and biological therapy.
    • People with cancer can live full, productive lives.
    • Emphasize that many people with cancer live life on their own terms - they LIVESTRONG. They prevail over the sickness to lead fulfilling, productive lives. Say, however, that they often need to overcome a lot of adversity in order to accomplish that. Tell students that today they're going to explore some of the practical issues related to having cancer.
  3. Ask students, "What are some of the things you might have to worry about if you were diagnosed with cancer? And let's not specify the type of cancer right now. Let's just say that you're very sick." Write students' ideas on the board.
  4. Tell students that you'd like to show them a short video about some practical considerations that people with cancer  face.
  5. Show the video, "Practical Considerations."
  6. Focus discussion on the following questions:
    • "What were some of the practical considerations that people with cancer had to face?"
    • "What were their attitudes during all this?"
    • "How did they manage to live life on their own terms - to LIVESTRONG - while facing these issues?"
  7. Tell students that now they're going to think about these issues a little more personally. Arrange students into eight groups. Say that you're going to give four situations to the groups - two groups will have the same situation. Briefly describe the four situations:
    • "Situation 1: You're in high school, getting reasonable grades, participating in some sports, not dating anyone in particular and making plans for college. Your parents are divorced; you live with your mother, two younger sisters, and an older brother. You've just been diagnosed with cancer.
    • "Situation 2: You're 35 years old, married with a two-year-old son, a career in biotechnology, and a house in a nice but not extravagant section of the city. Your spouse works part-time as an on-line journalist. You've just been diagnosed with cancer.
    • "Situation 3: You're 70 years old, widowed, and live modestly in a retirement community on Social Security and some money from stocks. You still drive, but only during the day. Your children are grown and live in different parts of the country. You've just been diagnosed with cancer.
    • "Situation 4: Your father lives about 500 miles away. He's 70 years old, widowed, and lives modestly in a retirement community on Social Security and some money from stocks. He still drives, but only during the day. He's just been diagnosed with cancer."
  8. Distribute the work sheets, "Changes" and "With Cancer," to each student. Explain that the "Changes" work sheet describes some of the changes that might occur, depending on the person and the type of cancer. Say that the "With Cancer" work sheet should spur their group to thinking about their particular situation. Give students time to read both work sheets.
  9. After students have finished reading the work sheets, assign the situations to each group, and give students the following instructions:
    • "I'd like you to use the issues on the work sheet, as well as any others you come up with, to try to answer the general questions-as well as any other questions you come up with.
    • "Discuss within your group how you could cope with the issues that come up.
    • "After you're finished, I'd like you to present a report on your particular situation.
    • "Remember, the overall goal is to LIVESTRONG with the cancer, regardless of the circumstances; so your solutions should be positive ones. Although these issues are 'practical,' some of the solutions might be philosophical or psychological in nature.
    • "Any questions?"
  10. Give time for students to finish their assignments and then to make their reports.

Check for Understanding

  1. Use the teacher sheet, "Rubric for 'With Cancer' Presentation," to assess students' understanding.
  2. Ask students to write down something that characterized all the solutions. Collect their papers and read them aloud; try to resolve any differences.
  3. Emphasize again that having cancer is difficult, but people can make the effort to LIVESTRONG through their responses to those difficulties.
  4. Tell students that in the next lesson, they'll be examining different states' policies relating to cancer and health care.

Extension Activities:  If you want to incorporate more social studies into this lesson, have students explore what role other countries’ governments have in providing benefits for people with cancer and other health problems. Suggest that they explore the feasibility as well as the ethics of universal health care.  If you would like to emphasize this lesson with students, you can review the "Get Involved" booklet to learn more about how your students and your school can become advocates for people affected by cancer by participating in LIVESTRONG events in your community, raising funds for cancer research, accessing information about people living with cancer, or increasing cancer awareness.

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